Special Harlaw Edition
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- 1 - DOWN UNDER THE NEWSLETTER OF CLAN LESLIE SOCIETY HARLAW Special Edition July 2010 OF AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND. (CLANZ) th THE BATTLE OF HARLAW (1) Andrew , who succeeded as 7 of that Ilk. (2) Norman , who became a noted courtier and ambassador. (3) George , ancestor of the Earls of Rothes. (4) Walter , who through marriage became the Earl of Ross. (5) George , 1 st Baron of Balquhain. (It was not uncommon to have two children similarly named in one family. Infant and child mortality was commonplace up until the 20 th century) th (6) Margaret, married David de 24 July, 1411 Abercrombie. by David C. Leslie The son of Sir Andrew de Leslie, 6 th of that Ilk, (Baron of Leslie 1979 – 2003) Walter, later the Earl of Ross and the second son, Andrew, of George, 1 st Baron of Balquhain would It would be remiss of me to discuss the Battle of both have a major influence and involvement in Harlaw without first providing as an introduction the happenings of the Battle and eventually in a the personalities, politics and circumstances which lesser related matter his grandson, Sir David de ultimately resulted in the Family of Leslie Leslie, 9 th of that Ilk, of whom more hereafter. becoming involved and entwined in the events leading up to and concluding in the ‘bloody’ Walter de Leslie, 4 th son of Sir Andrew de Leslie, Battle of Harlaw in the summer of 1411. 6th of that Ilk and Mary Aberneathy. Walter as a younger son in a Noble Scottish Family had few Personalities :- ‘career’ options in the 14 th century and these were generally the Church or the Military. Walter In order that the reader fully understands the selected the later and embarked for Europe where Leslie personalities involved and their connection at that time the kings of various countries were to the Battle of Harlaw it is necessary to begin the always on the look out for suitable people of noble introductions of the Leslie family members blood and military training to appoint as Officers beginning with the 6 th Leslie of Leslie, Sir in their armies. Walter fitted in to this category Andrew Leslie, almost a century before the Battle. and had a distinguished military career, even being mentioned in dispatches to the King of Sometime after 1312 almost 100 years before the Scotland, David the Second. Battle of Harlaw, Sir Andrew Leslie, 6 th of that Ilk Eventually, Walter returned to Scotland and his (of Leslie) married Mary Aberneathy, one of the home and by favour of King David married circa daughters and co-heiress of Sir Alexander 1365, Eufamia, eldest daughter and heiress of Aberneathy, Lord of Aberneathy. The marriage to William, 6 th Earl of Ross. Mary was one of the most important in the history of the Family of Leslie as it brought the Barony of On the death of William, 6 th Earl of Ross circa Ballinbreich and large tracts of land in the south of 1372, and having no male heirs, Eufamia as eldest Scotland into Leslie ownership. daughter succeeded to the Earldom as Countess of By his marriage to Mary Aberneathy, Sir Andrew Ross, in accordance with the provisions of the de Leslie had the following issue :- Charter dated 23 rd October 1370, and her husband, - 2 - Walter Leslie became the 7 th Earl of Ross by his This situation was to continue until John’s death at wife’s right. the Battle of Verneuil in Normandy in 1424 when As is customary in Scotland old titles can pass the lands of the Earldom of Ross fell to the Crown down either the male or female line and this has while the title of Countess of Ross returned to happened in case of our own Leslie Family history Lady Margaret Leslie wife of Donald, Lord of the by way of the title Countess of Rothes. Isles and by marriage Earl of Ross. By his marriage to Eufamia, 7 th Countess of Ross, Sir George Leslie, 1 st Baron of Balquhain, 5 th son Walter had issue :- of Sir Andrew de Leslie, 6 th of that Ilk and Mary Aberneathy. George as the youngest son must (1) Alexander Leslie, who succeeded as 8 th have been very fortunate indeed to be granted land Earl of Ross at the death of his mother. Charters by his father and the title of Baron (2) Lady Margaret Leslie, married Donald considering the route that his elder brother had to Lord of the Isles. take as a soldier of fortune in Europe. He married (3) Lady Mary Leslie, married Sir David Elizabeth Keith, daughter of the Baron of Hamilton. Inverugie and by her had a son, Hamelin, who succeeded him as 2 nd Baron of Balquhain. Walter Leslie, 7 th Earl of Ross by marriage, died on the 18 th August, 1381. Sir Hamelin Leslie, 2 nd Baron of Balquhain, son of Sir George Leslie, 1 st Baron of Balquhain and About 1394, Eufamia, 7 th Countess of Ross died Elizabeth Keith, succeeded his father in 1351. and was succeeded by her son, Alexander Leslie, Hamelin married Ann Maxwell daughter of Lord 8th Earl of Ross. Alexander married Lady Isabel Maxwell of Carlaverock. By her he had issue :- Stewart, daughter of Robert, Duke of Albany, Regent of Scotland, and by her had an only child : (1) Andrew, who succeeded as 3 rd Baron of Balquhain. (1) Euphemia, who succeeded him as 9 th (2) A Daughter, who married the Laird of Countess of Ross. Badathsche. Alexander Leslie, 8 th Earl of Ross, died before Sir Hamelin Leslie died in 1378. 1411 and was succeeded by his daughter Euphemia, 9 th Countess of Ross. Her mother Lady Sir Andrew Leslie, 3 rd Baron of Balquhain, son of Isabel Stewart later re-married Walter, Lord Sir Hamelin Leslie, 2 nd Baron of Balquhain and Halyburton of Dirleton. Ann Maxwell, succeeded his father in 1378. Sir Andrew, to put it politely, was a turbulent Baron, Sadly, Euphemia being under age at her accession, nicknamed ‘Red Andrew the Robber Baron, with and being, it is said, of a weakly constitution, very loose morals and in today’s terms would be small, and deformed, was induced by her maternal described as ‘more than a bit of a lad.’ He had grandfather, Robert, Duke of Albany, Regent of numerous progeny of natural children, from whom Scotland and her Ward, to resign her rights to the many Leslies are descended. The story goes that Earldom in favour of her maternal uncle, John Sir Andrew had at least 70-80 illegitimate children Stewart, Earl of Buchan. Thereupon Robert, Duke and that his wife Ann was a very forgiving, caring of Albany, in his capacity as the Regent prepared person. In hard times when food and money were new charters granting Euphemia a small part of in short supply in the surrounding area, she would the Earldom of Ross with the majority of the load up a cart with food and ale and distribute estate passing to John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, his these provisions to the families who were bringing son. up her husbands illegitimate children. Sir Andrew was to lose 6 legitimate sons and reputedly about As will be explained later, this single action would 30 illegitimate sons at the Battle of Harlaw. ultimately lead to and culminate in the Battle of th Harlaw, on 24 July, 1411. At some unknown date, Ann Maxwell must have To add insult to injury, Robert, Duke of Albany, died and Sir Andrew re-married for it is recorded then induced his Ward Euphemia to take the veil that he married Isabel Mortimer daughter of and become a nun, at which point John Stewart, Bernard Mortimer of Craigievar and had by her :- Earl of Buchan took possession of her estates and assumed the title of Earl of Ross. - 3 - (1) William, his successor. have connections with the Weavers Trade, (2) Alexander, married to Margaret Leslie, entrepreneur, publican and privateer. daughter of Sir David de Leslie, 9 th of the Ilk, from whom she received the As a privateer he was in ‘cahoots’ with Alexander Barony of Leslie in the Garioch, from Stewart, Earl of Mar, Davidson providing the which her husband derived the style ships and Mar the men-at-arms. Provost Davidson and title of Leslie of Leslie, or of the may have had a number of children but his Ilk. daughter Margaret Davidson married Sir David (3) A Daughter, married to Glaster of Leslie, 9 th of that Ilk, around 1432. Glack. (4) A Daughter, married to Munroe of Robert Stewart, created 1 st Duke of Albany in Foulis. 1398, third son of King Robert ll, Earl of Menteith (5) A Daughter. Married to Raynold by marriage, Earl of Fife, Earl of Buchan both by Cheyne of Straloch. entail and became the Regent of Scotland when his nephew, the 12 year old James and heir to the Sir Andrew’s past and his feud with the Forbes Scottish throne was captured by the English in family was finally to catch up with him and after a 1406 and held for ransom. As Regent and virtually skirmish with a force sent against him under the King, it was not in the Duke’s interest, financially leadership of the Sheriff of Angus, Sir Andrew or otherwise, to organise the speedy payment of was slain along with many of his vassals. James’s ransom and so the young boy languished in England until 1424, a total of 18 years.